Long and rambling and stuff

Saturday, Mar. 08, 2003
9:13 AM

Yesterday I saw a baby car seat sitting by the side of the road. That really made me wonder... did someone decide all of a sudden that they didn't need it anymore, en route to somewhere? Hey kid, you're five years old now, I guess we can toss the car seat out the window! Weird.

Last weekend was lots of fun. Gen and I road-tripped down to KASF, stayed with Bera and generally had a good time. We stayed up way too late both nights talking to people who were being far too interesting. The event was really good - it was a nice balance of enough things to do but not so much that you couldn't see everything. The active display room was really cool - I was very impressed with the number of people doing different things throughout the day. We bailed on the feast because Bera was not on-board but we went and had seriously yummy Indian food instead. Boti khabab and Kashmiri naan, yummmm... It was also really nice to meet new people, especially since I don't get down to Sacred Stone all that often. It's getting easier for me to talk to people I don't know, though still tough sometimes. It's a skill I'm practicing.

Anyway, this week has been fairly uneventful. I have been trying to get things done, with a minor degree of success. My computer is having issues and I can't get to all of my saved email - and my email program won't save my settings so I have to read my mail on the web, which is really inconvenient considering all the email I get. We're probably going to have to just back stuff up and then reformat the hard drive. I am not looking forward to it but I just want my computer to work right again.

It feels like spring is finally starting to think about showing up - Wednesday was a beautiful day and Shannon and I took a walk around the neighborhood. It was so nice to get out in the fresh air, not wear a huge heavy coat and be able to breath deeply without my lungs freezing. I tend to get restless this time of year, very impatient for actual, real spring to arrive. This is our first spring in this house and I can't wait to see what kinds of flowers we might have. If we don't have anything good I will plant some in the fall. But I have to wait for the snow to melt first. Our back yard gets a reasonable amount of sun so it is fairly well cleared now. The front yard is north facing so it's still mostly covered. I am done with snow, it can go away now.

I am really feeling the need for some kind of change in my life - not a major "life change", like joining the army or something (ha! that's a good one), but something like cutting my hair or getting a tattoo. I have thought about getting a tattoo off and on since I was a freshman in college, twelve years ago (eep! now I feel old). I haven't done it for several reasons - one, I wasn't sure until maybe last year what exactly I would want permanently inked on my skin or where I would want it (gravity being what it is); another, because Kevin doesn't like tattoos. That doesn't stop me from wanting one, but I wouldn't want him to make a disgusted face every time he saw mine. The other reason is really more internal - I sometimes feel like I am not the "type" to get a tattoo, that I am not cool enough and people would just laugh at me and call me a poser. But to me, a tattoo is art that becomes a visible part of you, a manifestation of the art that is inside my head and my heart all the time. So much of my life is about art and the creation thereof, the pursuit of it and the appreciation of it. Why shouldn't I carry a sign of that?

Of course, if I want a change there is always something I could do that would be less permanent but even more drastic - I could cut my hair. I've been thinking about that lately, as I do most winters when my hair is full of static and tangles and washing it takes more time than washing the rest of me. I think about it in the summer, too, when my neck and back are hot, I'm sweaty and I have to put my hair up or sleep with it in a braid just to stay reasonably comfortable. I have had my hair the same way for years and I'd really like a different look. But, I am really not into "doing" my hair so I wouldn't want anything too high-maintenance (I do not want to spend an hour every day with curlers and blow dryers and all that crap - I've got better things to do). Right now all I do is brush it in the morning and forget about it. The funny thing is, I know I would get more shocked reactions if I cut my hair than if I got a tattoo! The sad thing is, I can't really afford either right now.

Wow. That put the brakes on that train of thought.

You know, ever since I had my wisdom teeth out, the rest of my teeth are really sensitive. I know they're moving around in my jaw now that they have more room, but it's really annoying. My teeth never used to hurt like this - they were never sensitive to cold, either. I have to be really careful when I drink something cold, make sure I don't get it in the sockets where my wisdom teeth were. Straws are the way to go. I hope this goes away eventually.

Sorry, I know this is getting really long. I guess I had more to say than I thought I did. It's been an introspective kind of week.

Had a lovely dinner last night at Gen's house with Gen, Rob & Wendy, Beth & Steve, Rags & Kymber and Kirsten. Yummy Thai food thanks to Beth & Steve, fun game of Clue courtesy of Wendy and a few rounds of Taboo (you try getting people to guess "quack" without using the words medicine, doctor, duck, sound or noise...) It was a nice relaxing time, good to hang out with folks and chat. Good to get out of the house too, haven't done that much this week.

Today I have to go to Michaels for a "Meet the Teachers" demo. I get to hang around for three hours, demo mosaic stuff and talk to people about my class. I think it might actually be fun. I have a couple of projects in progress that I can take to work on, plus some finished pieces to show off. Hopefully it will pique people's interest and I'll get more students in my class. That would be very good since my last one was canceled. I don't teach, I don't get paid. =( I know I have two in my March class, so that's something at least.

OK, this entry is way too damn long and I commend you if you're still reading. This is what happens when I don't update for a week. It's supposed to be in the 50s today so I'm hoping to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Have a good weekend!

Ciao!